After an inheritance ruling and an October lockout, the former student of Dr. Laura Dean Head seeks an independent investigation and a halt to any sale. Court records show a sharply contested account of influence and intent.
Zakiya Jendayi says she has removed most of her belongings from the home she occupied for 13 years after sheriff’s deputies took possession of the property, leaving her to fight for its return while seeking an independent investigation into the probate case that invalidated her longtime friend’s trust.
In an Oct. 23 interview with the SF Bay View, Jendayi said she received three days to clear out the house following an Oct. 1 arrest and lockout. Some belongings remain inside, she said. Her immediate goal is to prevent a sale while she challenges the outcome of a case that pitted her against the sisters of Dr. Laura Dean Head, her former professor and mentor.
“I’m no longer in possession of my home that I legally inherited,” Jendayi said. “However, I’m still fighting to get my property returned to me.”
The legal ownership claim remains disputed. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Sandra K. Bean invalidated Head’s living trust in March 2023 after finding undue influence, although she found Head had capacity to execute it and found no credible evidence of forgery. The First District Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment in 2024. The U.S. Supreme Court denied review on Oct. 6, 2025…